2018 Fishing Reports

The hottest bites of the spring are happening this week in NW PA. Check out all the recent reports and photo catches – every species seems to be biting! Earlier this spring I said this was going to be the Year of the Crappie in NW PA and it is coming true! With the Memorial Day weekend coming up, don’t settle for sitting around in a lawn chair roasting a hot dog. GO FISH NOW!

Literally overnight, spring finally arrive in NW Pennsylvania this past week. And with water temperature suddenly moving to 60 degrees, many species of fish have gone wild! Anglers are reporting impressive catches of crappies, perch, walleyes, bass, pike and white bass from inland lakes. The pre-spawn smallmouth bite at Presque Isle Bay and on the Allegheny River is on big time. Drop what you are doing and Go Fish!

Even though the weather isn’t warming up much in NW PA, the fishing is getting hotter. Still steelhead in the Erie tributaries, strong walleye night bite at Pymatuning and smallmouth are smashing baits on the Allegheny – when the river isn’t blown out. Even better days are coming as lakes warm into the 60s come May.

The cold temps, snow, rain, wind and high water continued to plague NW PA into April. Most anglers decided it is too uncomfortable to be on the water. However, a handful of very hardcore fishermen have making make the best of it, hauling in yellow perch from Presque Isle Bay and walleyes at Pymatuning Lake. The high cold water in the streams has kept good numbers of steelheads in Erie tributaries longer than usual. A warmup is forecast for Thursday through Sunday – in time for opening weekend of regular trout season, but the long range continues to look iffy. The question “When will Spring-like weather arrive?” remains unanswered.